Savannah Bananas bring ‘Banana Ball’ to Chicago for the first time

CHICAGO (WGN) — The Savannah Banana baseball team from Savannah, Georgia, is widely popular with young families and those who want to go to the ballpark and have some major league fun.

It opens like a Broadway musical with the ballplayers entertaining sold out crowds across the country before the first pitch is ever thrown.

It’s like no other baseball game you’ve ever seen.

“To have 3.6 million people on our waitlist is crazy,” Jesse Cole said.

Cole, the team’s flamboyant owner, is barnstorming his way across the country.

He and his talented ball players are thrilled to bring what he calls the greatest show in sports to a sold-out Rate Field on Friday and Saturday nights.

Dalton Cornett is a catcher playing Friday night for the Bananas’ opponent, The Firefighters.

“I mean, our whole thing is fans first and we make the game fun,” he said.

There are short breaks in between innings where the fans can get involved. And the rules are radically different in “banana ball” from regular baseball.

“By watching a regular baseball game, I said all right what are all the boring parts? Stepping out of the box, mound visits, bunting,” Cole said.

None of that is allowed. With all kinds of other twists, such as if a fan catches a foul ball, the batter is out.

“If you hit a foul ball and the fan catches it in a big moment, you’re like, ‘Ah!’ Just ruins your night,” Cornett said.

But those quirky rules are all part of the fun and madness of Savannah Banana baseball.

The games are sold out, but you can watch Friday night on ESPN2 and Saturday night on truTV.